Rain-related accidents killed 19 people in Gujarat, taking the death toll to 26 in three days, officials said, as heavy rains hit parts of the state for a fourth day on Wednesday and some 17,800 people were evacuated from flood-affected areas.
The dead include seven people who went missing on Sunday after the tractor-trolley they were traveling in was swept away while crossing a flooded causeway near Dawana village in Halwad Taluka in Morbi district, a police official said. adding that their bodies have been found.
Although there was a temporary lull in rains in Vadodara, the Vishwamitri river, which flows through the city, breached its banks and entered residential areas, inundating buildings, roads and vehicles, causing flooding in large swathes of low-lying areas.
Amid flooding in many parts of Gujarat, Prime Minister Modi called Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel to understand the situation and assured the Center's support to the state in dealing with natural disasters.
On Wednesday, Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Rajkot and Porbandar districts of Saurashtra district received rainfall between 50 mm and 200 mm in the 12 hours ending at 6 pm. Bhanvad taluka in Devbhumi Dwarka district received 185 mm of rainfall during this period, the highest in the state.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heavy rains in parts of Saurashtra on Thursday.
People trapped on houses and rooftops in Vadodara were rescued and shifted to safer places by the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the National Disaster Response Force and three Army columns deployed for the purpose, officials said.
Minister Rashkesh Patel told the media that so far more than 5,000 people have been evacuated from Vadodara and another 1,200 have been rescued. On Wednesday, the Army deployed three more columns, one each of NDRF and SDRF.
Chief Minister Patel directed the authorities to deploy cleaning equipment and spray disinfectants in Vadodara city as soon as the floodwaters start receding. He directed teams from Ahmedabad and Surat Municipal Corporations and Bharuch and Anand Municipal Corporations to be deployed in Vadodara for the purpose.
The CM ordered the deployment of five additional NDRF teams and four Army columns to assist the government in the rescue operation in Vadodara. He said more rescue boats should also be dispatched from Ahmedabad and Surat to flood-affected cities.
Officials said that apart from the NDRF and SDRF, the Indian Army, Indian Air Force and Coast Guard are also conducting rescue operations in rain-hit areas and have so far evacuated around 17,800 people while 2,000 others have been rescued.
As many as 26 people have died in rain-related incidents in the past three days. The deaths were reported from Rajkot, Anand, Mahisagar, Kheda, Ahmedabad, Morbi, Junagadh and Bharuch districts.
At least nine people died in rain-related incidents such as wall collapse and drowning in different parts of the state on Tuesday, an official release said.
Seven people died in similar incidents in the state on Monday. Three members of a Rajkot family drowned on Wednesday after their car was swept away by floods, police said.
SP Rahul Tripathi said the bodies of seven missing persons were found after the tractor trolley they were traveling in was swept away while the rescue team was crossing a flooded causeway near Dawana village in Morbi district on Sunday.
Three of the bodies were found on Tuesday and four on Wednesday, Morbi fire official Devendrasinh Jadeja said, adding that one person was still missing.
Posting on Guidance was provided to protect life and livestock and assured all necessary support and assistance from the central government.
“The Honorable Prime Minister has been keeping an eye on the situation in Gujarat and has been keeping abreast of the situation. He has a deep affection for the people of Gujarat. He has always stood with Gujarat and the people of the state during natural disasters and in any time of need.
The State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) said that in the recent period, Gujarat has so far received 105% of the annual average rainfall.
SEOC data showed that several districts in Saurashtra, especially Devbhumi Dwarka, Jamnagar, Porbandar and Rajkot, experienced heavy rainfall in the 24 hours starting at 6 am on Wednesday.
Khambhalia taluka in Devbhumi Dwarka district received 454 mm of rainfall during the period, followed by Jamnagar city (387 mm) and Jamnagar's Jamjodhpur taluka (329 mm).
During this period, as many as 13 of the state's 251 talukas received more than 200 mm of rainfall and another 39 received more than 100 mm of rainfall.
According to official releases, the water levels in 140 reservoirs and dams and 24 rivers in the state are above the danger line. The rain also disrupted traffic and train movements, with roads and rail lines flooded.
According to the press release, 122 of the 206 dams are on high alert due to the sharp rise in water levels.
As many as 48 trains were cancelled, 14 were partially canceled, and 6 trains were temporarily suspended. The Ahmedabad division of Western Railway said that 23 more trains were diverted to other routes.
(This report has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from associated news agency – PTI)
